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“There’s unfortunately no cure for the common cold, which can be really frustrating, especially because we get so many of them. But something to keep in mind is they usually get better on their own and don’t require any prescription medications and don’t cause long-term complications.
So that can be reassuring. If you do have symptoms of a common cold, and you’re feeling sick, there are a lot of common cold home treatments that you can implement. So using things like a humidifier or a vaporizer, over the counter medications, making sure to get lots and lots of rest and good quality sleep, and staying well hydrated all can help you. If you are interested in over the counter medications, there are some options such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, other types of anti-histamines or allergy medications, decongestants, nose sprays. And there’s a lot of cold syrups and oral pills to help the cold. So it can be pretty overwhelming.
Before you decide what you need to pick up, it’s really the best advice to talk to either your doctor or a pharmacist, so the two of you can work together to pick the right medications for you. Once you’re fully recovered, there are steps that you can take also to prevent yourself from getting sick again. Or if you do get sick, trying to keep yourself as healthy as possible to fight the infection fast. So that’s where having a healthy lifestyle is super important. What do I mean by healthy lifestyle? So staying active, regular exercise, having a healthy weight, having healthy nutrition, a good quality diet can really help your body get its best defense. Avoiding things like smoking can also help build your immunity, where you’re not doing anything that can harm your body. And then finally, make sure that you’re preventing getting yourself exposed in the first place. So avoiding areas where there’s a lot of people who could be sick, or avoiding coming into close contact with someone you know is sick, is a really good idea and don’t touch high service touch areas.
If you do, make sure you wash your hands regularly and avoid touching your mouth and nose as much as possible. And make sure to do your part too. Cover your own nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze so you can’t transmit the virus to other people. These are some simple steps, but really important ones that you can take to help protect both yourself and your family against the common cold.”
